Sumar has requested the Higher Sports Council to develop a protocol of good practices in order to prevent, as has already happened on other occasions, the display of maps that include occupied territories such as Palestine or Western Sahara in sporting competitions.
To this end, the party has registered a non-legislative proposal that will be debated in the Education and Sports Commission of Congress, in which it urges to take extra care when representing certain peoples territorially to avoid sensitive errors.
In this initiative, Sumar aims for the Chamber to ask the Government for the drafting of a specific protocol regarding the use of maps, flags, official names, and geopolitical references in the sports field, with special attention to international competitions, broadcasts, graphic supports, institutional acts, and events funded wholly or partially with public money.
The purpose is to ensure that these elements comply with International Law and United Nations resolutions, "avoiding the use of maps or materials that incorporate occupied, colonized, or non-self-governing territories as part of the occupying or de facto administering state."
In the document, which Europa Press has accessed, the minority group of the Executive also proposes to promote, respecting the editorial independence of RTVE and other public media, "mechanisms for coordination and technical training to prevent the dissemination of maps, graphics, or names contrary to International Law in sports information," especially in major events such as World Cups, Olympic Games, European Championships, cycling events, international tournaments, or events organized in Spain.
Defense of coherent and non-discriminatory criteria
At the same time, Sumar asks the Government to defend before international sports organizations —including the International Olympic Committee, FIFA, UEFA, UCI, and other federations— the application of a "coherent and non-discriminatory criterion in situations of occupation, apartheid, genocide, illegal annexation, or massive violations of Human Rights."
The training demands, moreover, that sports cooperation programs be promoted with the Sahrawi people and the Palestinian people, in coordination with their sports structures, associations, clubs, athletes, and civil society organizations, focusing on grassroots sports, women's sports, adapted sports, technical training, and access to international competitions.
Finally, to monitor these actions, the proposal contemplates that the Government must submit to Congress, within a maximum period of six months, a report detailing the measures implemented in this area.